Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson — Ep. 422

Guest: Braiden Shaw
Main Theme: Unlocking Financial Freedom and Explosive Social Growth
Date: October 2, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features Braiden Shaw, CEO of Fulcrum Home Loans and Amplify LLC—a financial educator and Instagram powerhouse who grew his following from 2,000 to 1.4 million in under a year. Host Jay Schwedelson and Braiden tackle two big topics:

1. The three fundamental steps to financial freedom (with a practical, no-nonsense approach)
2. The real, tactical story behind how Braiden became a social media giant, focused on education, not sales

Their conversation cuts through typical “best practices,” blending proven financial strategies with actionable marketing and content-creation insights for everyday listeners.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Braiden’s Financial Knowledge Philosophy

• “You just have to know 10% more than the person you’re talking to, and you’re considered the expert.” (Braiden, 01:41)
  • Braiden’s approach to financial education is rooted in transparency and accessibility, not gatekeeping.
  • Critiques extremes in financial advice: either Dave Ramsey-level austerity or flashy get-rich-quick influencer culture, noting, “There was no middle ground for the everyday person.” (02:20)

2. The 3 Steps to Financial Freedom

Step 1: Get Out of Debt & Balance a Budget — (03:03)

• At least 50% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck: “You can't be in consumer debt, bad debt... Anything bad debt is over 9%.” (03:03)
• Difference between “good debt” (<9% interest) and “bad debt” (>9%).

Step 2: Build Liquidity in Traditional Markets — (03:45)

• Utilize 401(k), IRA, high-yield savings, brokerage accounts.
• “The average 401k in America returns a 4 to 6%. That's barely keeping up with inflation… [but] put 15% of your income in there and build a solid foundation.”

Step 3: Invest in Private Markets — (04:37)

• “That’s where real wealth is created… private market investments.”
• Most Americans never access private market opportunities (venture capital, real estate, private equity) but can, if proactive: “Just need to know how and find the network.” (05:00)
• Mental experiment: Use a compound interest calculator and see the effect of higher returns over time.

Memorable Quote:

• “You will turn into tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions of dollars just by doing the path that has been proven by all the ultra elite.” (05:31)

3. Myth-Busting Debt Management Advice

• On whether to pay off mortgages fast:
  “I don’t believe that you should pay off your home as fast as you can… Even if you get the same return as your interest rate... because one compounds up, you’re compounding up your return. You're compounding down your debt.” (06:00)
• Credit cards, personal loans, high-interest auto loans: Pay off aggressively.
• Cautions against outdated “best practices” and urges listeners to challenge financial dogma.

4. Braiden’s Approach to Social Media Growth

The Anti-Sales, Pure-Education Strategy (08:38)

• “People hate selling. The ads are the enemy online… I realized really quickly I could never be a business. I could never sell. I just wanted influence. I want to trust.”
• Made a rule: Post every day for a year, never sell, never even talk about profession.

Audience Research Blueprint (09:00)

• Asked 8 closest friends: “If you were to come to me for advice (not mortgages), what would it be?”
• Checked whom his favorite clients followed online (“blue checks”).
• Found overlapping topics: Finance and self-help.
• Committed to giving all possible value free for a year before thinking of monetization.

Growth Trajectory & Tactics (11:31)

• Treated Instagram like business experiments: rapid A/B testing, iterations.
• “Try 100 things, two of them work, lean into them, magnify them.”
• First minor “pop”: 10 cars likely to get 100K miles video (5,000 views); immediately made the inverse video for more engagement.
• Didn't “blow up overnight”—consistent, incremental, analytic approach led to exponential results.

Memorable Quote:

• “It was a linear line over the course of a year to a million followers... There was no one video or one month. It was just a slow and steady ab iteration leaning into what I call like the viral formula.” (12:38)

Advice for Marketers & Creators (10:59)

• “Don't sell, don't go in your industry. Just give, educate, or entertain. Those are the only two reasons anyone ever wants to consume information.”
• Knows he’s better at education than entertainment—leaned in hard to his strength.

5. Demystifying Access to Private Investments (13:57)

• Pre-Internet: everyday investors “locked out”; today, internet allows knowledge and networking.
• “It's a networking game… the greatest investment in time you will ever do is… networking and educating yourself in it.”
• Cautions listeners against “victim mentality”—anyone can access these deals if they invest in learning and relationships.

Memorable Quote:

• “All they had was a 401k a year ago and now they're in two venture capital deals, two large scale real estate deals and they drop their effective tax rate from 30% to 10%. Like, it is so doable.” (14:51)

6. Amplify LLC and Community Approach (15:57)

• Amplify is a parent to 22 financial services, from budgeting software to private equity.
• “Foundations” course: $25 for core financial training. “There's probably 100 hours of education… but really six hours that you need.”
• Braiden loses money on the Foundations course—his aim is to educate, help people build wealth, and create partnerships.
• “I've invested in 127 different companies. I own over a thousand doors of real estate and all of those I've just co-invested with people that have graduated from this foundation's community.” (17:33)

Notable Quotes

• “You just have to know 10% more than the person you’re talking to, and you’re considered the expert.”
  — Braiden Shaw, 01:41

• “I don’t believe in gatekeeping… I just try to share everything I possibly can to help people do it as well.”
  — Braiden Shaw, 02:20

• “I think that's so valuable because, you know, I'm a big believer that when you hear the word best practices like run…”
  — Jay Schwedelson, 07:23

• “If you take one of those hours out and you do a research and networking and you're intentional about this, your life will change…”
  — Jay Schwedelson, 15:22

• “Just give, educate, or entertain. Those are the only two reasons anyone ever wants to consume information.”
  — Braiden Shaw, 10:59

Important Segment Timestamps

• 01:41 — Braiden’s expertise and philosophy: “know 10% more”
• 03:03 — Three steps to financial freedom
  • Debt, budgeting, traditional markets, private investments
• 06:00 — Debt management, mortgage payoff myth-busting
• 08:38 — How Braiden designed his Instagram content and audience research
• 10:59 — Braiden’s education-centric content strategy
• 11:31 – 13:03 — Testing, iteration, and the business science of social media success
• 13:57 – 15:57 — Accessing private market investments & shifting your financial trajectory
• 15:57 – 17:33 — Amplify LLC explained, and the “Foundations” course community

Final Resources & How to Connect

• Braiden Shaw on Instagram: Find daily financial education content @braiden_shaw
• Amplify and Foundations Course: growyournetworth.com — $25 intro to Braiden’s education community and pathway into partnership investing
• Podcast Host: Jay Schwedelson, GURU Media Hub

Takeaways

• Financial freedom is accessible, stepwise, and practical if you focus on high-impact actions and ignore outdated “best practices.”
• Building a massive, trusted audience on social is achievable with consistent value-driven, non-sales-oriented content, guided by research and iteration.
• Private market investments are no longer just for the elite—but require proactive networking and education.
• Braiden’s model: Educate, build trust, create opportunity for all.

Whether you’re a marketer or seeking financial freedom (or both), this episode arms you with both actionable steps and the inspiration to realize bigger goals.